Alfeed williams



(No Model.)

A. WILLIAMS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented June 13, 1882.

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WITNESSES:

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NITED S'rA'rEs ALFRED WILLIAMS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ISAAC W. HEYSINGER, OF SAME PLACE.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,622, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed November 1, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED WILLIAMS, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain Improvement in Fire-Escapes, &c., of which the following is a ful1,clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a building showing my improved fire-escape ready for use. Fig. 2'is a top view of one of the safety-platforms. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of Fig. 1, showing the construction of the upper portion of the said fire-escape. Fig. 4'is a partly-sectional view of the parts-shown in Fig. 3, taken'from the side. Fig. 5 is a top view of one of the friction-rollers and its frame; and Fig. 6 shows the construction of the sides of the ladder when an elevator-platform is used, and also gives a top view of the said platform.

Myimproved fire-escape consists essentially of a transversely-movable fire-escape ladder and safety-balconies secured thereto, attached to and supported upon a transverse guide-rail permanently secured to the walls of a building, together with suitable mechanism by means of which the said fire-escape ladder and balconies may be easily run along upon the said supporting and guide rail from one side of the face of the building to the other, in order to adapt it to take up persons desirous of escape from any window or other opening accessible to them, and also to permit the said fire-escape ladder to be drawn or pushed bodily away upon the said guide-rail out of reach of the flames which might pour out of any of the windows of a burning building to which the said fire-escape might be attached. It is also designed to be used as an adjustable firemans ladder, by which hose may be carried into any window, or a stream directed upon any new part of the flames without the loss of time incident to descent from the ordinary ladders now in use, the readjustment of the same, and another ascent to the place designed to be operated upon. It also provides in the platforms, at various heights, secure places from which firemen may direct their streams of water, capable of being drawn suificiently far aside to shelter them from the flames, if desired. It will also give firemen increased confidence to know that they have at all times the means of escape at hand in whatever part of the burning building their duties may lead them, While at the same time it gives ready access to all parts of the roof. For the same reason the occupants or employs of a building upon which this fire-escape is used will be less likely to lose their presence of mind in case of fire, knowing that they are safe provided they can but reach any one of the front or back windows, as the case may be, while females will readily descend this fire-escape ladder by reason of the platforms at every story, which prevent By means of this invention firemen can as- I cend and search a burning building, bringing forth those in peril who are too weak to save themselves, while an elevator pulley and platform, when they are employed upon my fireescape, can be used to lower such persons in safety, or for saving valuable furniture or other property, the same apparatus serving at other times as a portable elevator, which can be adjusted to any window of a building for the elevation or lowering of merchandise, as may be desired.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the fire-escape is provided at each story of the building to which it is attached with a platform, so that when the fire-escape is suspended between two vertical rows of windows the platforms will extend sufiiciently far out on either side as to allow persons to step out upon them from the adjoining windows, and so descend theladderin safety. These ladders are provided around their outer edges with a light railing, and in front of the space occupied by the ladder have openings for ascent and descent upon the same. I prefer making the lowermost platform, which I usually place at the bottom of the fire-escape, and just above the top of the ground fioor of the building, so as to clear doorways, awnings, and otherobstructions, without the opening E, (shown in Fig. 2,) though I sometimes--as, for instance, in inclosed yards or for interior constructionscarry the ladder entirely down to the ground, or use a folding lower section. The ladder I use ordinarily is provided with rounds of gaspiping or other similar material, while the sides are of light corrugated plate-iron.

Fig. 6 shows one form of the sides of the ladder in section, where a deep corrugation is sunk along the front edge for the reception of the lugs which guide the elevator-platform F along the ladder, the said elevator being actuated by a rope passing over the pulley G at the top of the ladder. The platforms and all other parts of this construction should be of iron or other noncombustible material.

While I describe the foregoing means of ascent and descent as a ladder, I do not confine myself exclusively to an open or to a vertical ladder, my invention comprising all forms of ladder or stairway with attached platforms designed to be used in a similar manner and for like purposes.

As will be seen in Fig. 3, the top portion of the fire-escape ladder is provided with a frame and rollers. This frame is sufficiently wide to overhang the platforms beneath, so that a weight placed upon one side of these will not tend to cant the ladder upon its supports, an additional means of security being the supplemental rollers J J.

The frame H is provided at its outer sides with two grooved friction-rollers,1 I, designed to traverse the fixed rail K from one side of the building to the other and to support the weight of the ladder and platforms, as well as that of persons seeking egress by these means. At a suitable distance beneath the rollers I I are hung the smaller grooved friction-rollers J J, the object of which is to clasp the lower edge of the supporting-rail K and prevent the dislocation of the parts, while at the same time insuring easy motion of the entire mechanism in either direction. This frame H is also provided at each side with eyes H H, in which are fastened the ends of the traction-chains or wire ropes L L, by means of which the apparatus is moved from side to side, as will be further explained hereinafter.

Overhanging and near the top of the ladder is the pulley G, intended for the reception of a rope, by means of which heavy hose may be elevated or the sick and feeble rescued in case of fire, or merchandise may be raised or lowered, as before specified. The upper end of the ladder should extend up far enough to allow access to the roof of the building, and for this purpose I usually place the sup porting-rail just beneath the cornice, where it is also more concealed from view, and, indeed, becomes an ornamental appendage to the building. Not a trifling additional merit of my fire-escape is that it can, if used upon the front of a building, be placed ordinarily at such part as will least detract from the architectural effect, being thence run out for use to whatever point 0 required.

The supporting-rail (shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4) extends along the building to as great a distance as the fire-escape is designed to traverse. In cross-section, as shown at K in Fig. 4, it is a flat bar of metal placed edgewise, with prismoidal edges to receive the grooved peripheries of the pulleys I I and J J and prevent their escape therefrom. At suitable distances the rail-bar is sustained by projecting arms, so as to support it at a suitable distance from the wall to allow the frame H to freely travel to and fro upon it. I usually make the inner ends of these supports long enough to pass through the wall and be attached by bolts to the timbers of the building, as shown at K K, the brace-arm K extending downward along the wall some distance and firmly bolted thereto, so as to give the greatest possible strength to the construction. As will be seen, this form of rail and its supports does not interfere with the motion of the frame along it, and, indeed, the same could be carried upon it for an entire block, or even a greater distance if the architectural construction should allow it, vastly increasing the utility of the fire-escape in crowded tenement neighborhoods and correspondingly diminishing the relative cost thereof.

Should projecting angles be met with, by carrying the rail around in a curve and having the grooves of the rollers wide enough to permit it, the fire-escape may be carried along the front or side of almost any structure, or even around the corners to every. side of it.

In order to adjust my fire-escape to any part of the building, I employ traction-chains L L, which are attached to the frame H and move the same in either direction upon the rail K. These chains rest upon the supports K K, which conceal them and prevent them from sagging, andat the ends of the rail Kpass over pulleys M M, and thence descend to the ground, so that by drawing upon the said chains the fire-escape may be readily moved in either direction desired. The ends of these chains may enter the office for security, or they may be guarded bylocks which may be broken in an emergency, or their extremities may hang freely, as may. be desired. The chains also may pass over the pulleys M M and back to the ladder, and thence over other pulleys in the frame H and down to the ground. The ladder also may be moved from side to side by direct pushing thereupon, though the mechanism shown in the drawings is believed to be the preferable one.

While I describe m yinvention more particu- IIO larly as a fire-escape, it may also be used for 7 other purposes, such,for instance, as the erection of scaffolding, decoration or painting of a building, or for internal use in frescoing or painting, or for the purpose of reaching goods upon high shelves, and the transferring them to other parts of the store or warehouse, as well as for many other purposes.

When necessary, I use a roller or other fender to keep the ladder clear from the walls of the building, and sometimes also use a guiderail at the lower part of the ladder.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the ladder B, provided with one or more platforms, 0 O, the supporting-rail K, permanently attached to the walls of a building, upon which the said ladder is supported and moved from side to side, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In combination with the safety-platforms G O, ladder B, and supporting-rail K, the friction-rollers 1 Lplaced beyond the outside lines of the said ladder B, so as to overhang the said platforms (3 C and support the same, substantially as shown and described.

35 A fire-escape for buildings consisting of a ladder provided with safety-platforms at different heights, the said ladder being hung from a supporting-rail permanently attached to the building and laterally movable upon the said rail by means of traction-ch ains, or their equivalent, Worked from the surface of the ground, substantially as herein set forth.

4. Amovableladder for fire-escapes provided with safety-platforms at various heights, said platforms being permanently attached to the said ladder and having openings therein to allow the descent of persons from the said platforms upon the said ladder, substantially as described.

ALFRED WILLIAMS. Witnesses O. H. HERSHEY, M. B. FENNINGER. 

